Draft-annunciator for mines



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. BULLUCK.

DRAFT ANNUNGIATOR POR MINES.

Patented Jan. 14, 1890. @l

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WITNESSES:

ATTORNEYS.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet' 2.

W. BULLUCK. DRAFT ANNUNGIATUR POR. MINES.

No. 419,312. Patented Jan. 14,1890.

Arm/Mfrs.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

WILLIAM BULLUcK, oE CENTRALIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

DRAFT-ANNUNCIATOR FOR MINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 419,312, dated January14, 1890.

Appncanon filed June 1a, 1889. sentire. 314,685. (Numan.)

T a/Z whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM BULLUCK, of

'Centralia, in the county of Columbia and.

act description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved annunciatorwhich is simple and durable in construction and servos to indicate thestate of the air in the returnairways of a mine.

The invention consists in certain parts and details and combinations ofthe same, as will be fully described hereinafter, and then pointed outin the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts'in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a front view of the improvement as connected with atelephone and electric bell. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same.Fig. 3 is a front view of the improvement connected with an electricbell of a different form. Fig. 4 is a face view of the cover for thesame.

The improved annunciator is provided with a fan-wheel located in thereturn-airway of the mine and rotated by the current of air passingthrough the airway. In case the current of air is very strong, thefan-wheel rotates rapidly; but if a feeble current passes through theairway the fan-wheel is rotated slowly, and if no current exists thefan-wheel is not rotated at all. The rotating fan-wheel is connected bya suitable mechanism with a bell, which is sounded at intervals varyingwith the speed of the fan-wheel. The sounds of the bell are transmittedby a telephone to the central olce located above ground, so that theforeman in the central oice, hearing the sounds, can tell the state ofthe air in the respective airway in which the fan-wheel is located.

Instead of the fan-wheel being connected with the bell in the airway, itmay be connected with a circuit-breaker of an electric bell which leadsfrom the mine to the cent-ral office and sounds a bell there. Thetelephone can, by this arrangement, be entirely dispensed with.

As shown in the drawings, in Figs. 1,2,and 3, the fan-wheel A, of anyapproved construction, is secured on a shaft B, mounted to turn insuitable bearings formed in a frame C, located in a suitable place inthe Vreturn-airwayin the mine. On the shaft Bis secured a pinion D,connected with a train of gear.'- wheels E, of which the last gear-wheelFis secured on ashaft G, mounted Yto turn in suitable bearings on theframe C. On the front end of the shaft G is fastened a disk H, providedon its face with a number of pins I, arranged in a circle and adapted tooperate suc.- cessively on an arm J, extending from the striker K,adapted to sound a bell L, held on the frame C. In the immediateneighborhood of the bell L is held a telephone-transmitter N of atelephone connected with the central oflice located above ground andserving to transmit the sounds of the bell L to the central oliice.

When the air-current in the airway passes through the fan-wheel A, thelatter is rotated, and by its connection with the train of gearwheels Eturns the disk-wheel H, which, by its pins I, actuates the striker K,sounding the bell. According to the speed of the fanwheel A the strikerK sounds the bell at intervals varying with the speed of the saidfan-wheel. The operator in the central office,

- hearing the sounds through the telephone, can

tell the state of the air in the mine.

Instead of using a telephone, as described, I may dispensewith the sameand the bell L on the frame C, and employ an electric bell of anyapproved construction, such as shown in the drawings.

In Figs. 1, 2, and 3 the striker-arm J is provided with a springpressedextension J moved in and out of contact with the spring O2, connectedwith the post O, held insulated on the frame C, and from which leads acircuitwire P, connected with abattery Q and an annunciator R,preferably located in a central oflice outside of the mine. The wire Pis also connected with a post O, held directly on the frame C. Now, whenthe fan-wheel A rotates the electric circuit is alternately closed andopened by the extension J engaging and disengaging the spring O2;consequently the bell of the ann unciator is sounded at intervalsvarying with the speed of the IOC fan-wheel. To this-device I may add aspringgovernor circuit-breaker. (Shown in Figs. 1 and 2.) The governorSis attached to the main shaft B, and when the wheel A runs at a normalrate of speed the governor is disconnected from the screw T, heldinsulated in the frame C and connected by a branch wire P with theinsulated post O, previously described. New, when the fan-wheel A runsvery slow, (indicating an insufficient quantity of air in the airway,)then` the governor connects with the screw T and completes the electriccircuit, so thatt-he bell of the annunciator sounds continuously, thusgiving an alarm, which indicates insufficient or foul air in the airwayof the -mine...On Athe -Square endof the shaft G maybe secured'a handV,(see'Fig. 4,) indicating. on` a dial IV, held ina coverCt, fitting onthecasing C.y The hand indiea'tesltheamountof air passing through the wheelAata given time. l 1 1 Having thus described my. invention, what I claimas new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is f. J y

1. In a draft-annunciator, the combination, with `the fan-wheel locatedin a mine-airway and adapted to berotated bythe air in the same, of anelectric bell, a circuit-breaker,

means for operating the circuit-breaker from the fan-wheel,circuit-wires, a spring-governor operated by the fan-wheel, and contactswith which the governor engages, substantially as described, wherebyprovision is made for sounding the bell at intervals varying with thespeed of the fan-wheel, and also for sounding the bell continuously whenthe fanwheel slackens below a certain speed, as set forth.

2. In a draft-annunciator, the combination, with a fan-wheellocated inand operated' by the current of air in a mine-airway, of an electricbell, a disk provided with a series of pins, means foroperating thediskfroln the fan-wheel, a pivoted arm .projecting into thepathofthepinsof the disk, a contact-Sprin g eng. Ging. said arm, Aaspring-governor on the shaft of thefan-Wheel and `operateddy themovement ofthe ysaid, fanwheel, a ,contactscrew with which the governor,engages and circuit-wires, substantially as herein shown and described.v p

WILLIAM BULLUCK.

lVitnesses:

W. K. LORD, L. E. DAVIS.

